At the beginning of creation, God had a Plan.  The Plan was Jesus.  The Plan was designed and implement at just the right time and place.  The Plan was put in place at the beginning, knowing God’s created humans would need a Way back to Him.  God’s beloved, created humans were/are given the freedom to choose God and his goodness and perfect will or to choose their own way.  Freedom to choose good or evil was given to mankind.  Why?  Because God wanted people to come to Him because they desired to come to Him, not by force, but by loving Him back.  “We love God because He first loved us.”

THE PLAN: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

God loves each one of His created.  He loved the world then, he loves us now.  God loves us while we are wandering in our sin, in our repentance of our sin, and after our sin has been forgiven.  God simply and unconditionally loves us.  “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!”  (Romans 8, Berean Study Bible)

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, also had a choice.  He didn’t have to die for our sin.  He could have called down armed and ready angels to rescue Him from the false accusations, the betrayal by His beloved, followed by the excruciating pain of torture that will lead to death on a cross for all to see.  But He didn’t.

In Jesus words, “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

Jesus fulfilled God’s Plan, designed as meticulously as His creatioin, to rescue us from sin, clear all debts of sin, and now marked PAID IN FULL.

Matthew 26

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

HOW THEN?

How then can we resist an innocent, perfect man who died for our sin?  Why do we pause in our decision to run to Him?

How then can we wonder if we should believe when the facts are written as proof in many other writings other than the Bible?

How then can we deny the existence of a God who SO LOVED that HE GAVE His Son to save us from death in exchange for life eternal?

How then can we make the wrong choice and follow a world that will soon fade away?  We must answer the question of Truth, “Do we really believe that what we believe is really real…and do we live what we say we believe?” 

How then can we believe?  Because God, our Father, is present with us through His Holy Spirit.  God is for us, never against us.  He knows us by name.  He knows what we are thinking.  He knows our struggles in our momentary doubts on days that make us uneasy and overwhelmed.  He still loves us.  God will always love us–forever.  He wants the very best for us.  He sent His best to save us from this world and worldview thinking.  God’s best is Jesus.   We need to only accept that He did, believe in that He did and love Him back with all that is in us.  No one has done too much to receive the grace and mercy of God.

Jesus fulfilled The Plan according to God’s Will and for God’s purpose…to save us.

Find and follow the One who loves you most.

In Jesus Name, Amen